Our city leaders should be congratulated for the new and improved smoking ban, they are somewhat brave to pass this ordinance in our community and I'm sure there will be a few references to "big brother" and government running our lives during the next few weeks.I just think the city council really needs to go further and address an even bigger, more annoying and health damaging smoke problem - wood burning fireplaces. I live on the east side and can tell you honestly on days like today I cannot work outside in my own backyard because of neighbors burning wood. I find after about an hour outside I start coughing and have to come inside. I don't know how much air pollution is created day and night by wood burning fireplaces but it must be at least a hundred times, a thousand times? or more than any group of outdoor cigarette smokers could produce, what do think?

I think this is another B.S. ordinance passed that, most likely, will never be enforced. Unless you want to snitch on your neighbors (probably anonymously) the cops won't be driving up and down streets looking for that tell-tale wisp of tobacco smoke. I would rather have them patrolling for the people breaking into cars or businesses or houses. Knowing that enforcement would be extremely difficult, it was easy to do the "brave" thing and pass the law. I don't like nanny government and I don't want to be cared for womb to tomb.

I wish I could have a fireplace. I can't stand the gas heaters that provide less heat at a higher cost.

I think the ban is good thing. I remember living in a 2nd floor apartment years ago, and we actually had to move because the tenants below us smoked like chimneys. The smoke was seeping into our apartment and was just terrible. But I must agree that i like the smell of fireplaces during Christmas time.

This is such a feel good bull$hit new law. I am not a smoker, never have, but really!!!!!!!!!!! banning smoking in a parking lot? I'ms sure the council feels all warm and fuzzy. Tobacco is a legal product right? Just make tobacco illegal PERIOD! I did get a great laugh over this:Petaluma resident Robert Caruso said that in his four- to five-mile walks each day, he is forced to cross the street to avoid “unpleasant and unhealthy” smoke.

“They're blowing smoke at what is the real issue,” he said of any opponents. “It's a public health issue.”

Really, having to cross the street to avoid “unpleasant and unhealthy”!!! So let me get this straight he will cross a street were cars and trucks are driving by to avoid the “unpleasant and unhealthy” smoke of cigarettes.

Womb to Tomb? Exactly! Another useless ordnance inflicted on our city by the Regressives of our city council. Make useless "feel good" laws and just as state and federal governments do, provide NO money for enforcement.

If one can not stand outside for an hour and must go back inside to breathe you need to move or wear some sort of a breathing apparatus outside. I doubt very seriously that you problems stems from someone smoking a cigarette a mile away.

If second hand smoke kills then let's eliminate cars, trucks, fireplaces, restaurants, foundries, welding, smoked ham, smoked bacon.....or anything else that gives off any smoke or exhaust what so ever, after all it has to effect somebody!

Sure go ahead and eliminate cigarettes, etc. Then tell me just how the "F" are you going to fund all those wonderful programs that you so diligently voted for derived from cigarette taxes!,,,,,,,,,

I agree this will be difficult to enforce--if at all. But, if buildings were built in such away that the smoke stayed within one apartment, it wouldn't be so much of an issue--but that's not the case. One unit of smokers contaminates everything around them.

And, if you ever saw what can happen to someone with asthma around cigarette smoke, you would not be so dismissive of the effects.

I don't agree with the new ban. I am a non smoker and believe people should be allowed to smoke in their own home. If its a rental then it should be up to the owner if he wants smoking or not in his home. Where are smokers allowed to smoke now? How about the cars driving by filled with smoke and a baby or children inside? That is what should be illegal but its not! What about people burning garbage in their fireplaces that smell so toxic you can't even go outside. I think fireplaces should have to be checked at least every other year for cracks and cleaned every other year also. Where is the law for these things when a neighbors fireplace has so many cracks its a danger? Why aren't these regulated? Why is it always smoking? If you have a wood burning fireplace it must be checked just like a smog check on a car. This smoke goes into the air and affects more people than smoking does because it spreads into a bigger area and the things being burned are more toxic than a cig.